1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for holding a disposable or reusable cleaning wiper and a cleaning tool constructed of the holding device and the cleaning wiper.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2977477 discloses a cleaning tool in which a head is provided at a front end of a short handle that can be held with one hand and a disposable cleaning cloth comprising nonwoven fabric is attached to the head. However, such a short handle cleaning tool is not suitable for floor and ceiling cleaning, although it is suitable for cleaning within reach.
Accordingly, there have been developed cleaning tools in which a cleaning cloth is attached to a front end of a telescopic handle that can be retracted for cleaning within reach and extended for floor and ceiling cleaning. Holding devices using such a telescopic handle are disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 9-38009 and 9-154791.
In addition, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-43116 discloses a concrete structure of a telescopic handle for the holding device.
This telescopic handle is constructed of a large cylinder, a medium cylinder and a small cylinder, wherein a head for supporting a cleaning cloth is attached to a front end of the small cylinder. The handle can be retracted by accommodating the medium cylinder in the large cylinder and further accommodating the small cylinder in the medium cylinder; conversely, the handle can be extended by pulling the small cylinder out of the medium cylinder and further pulling the medium cylinder out of the large cylinder.
Moreover, length locking means are provided between the small and medium cylinders and between the medium and large cylinders. These length locking means are each constructed of an engaging projection that is provided on an outer periphery of a thinner cylinder at a location closer to a rear end thereof and an engaging groove that is formed inside a thicker cylinder. The engaging projection can be engaged in the engaging groove by axially strongly pulling the cylinder for extension of the handle, while the engagement of the engaging projection in the engaging groove can be forcibly released by applying a strong retracting force between the cylinders.
When the holding device having the length locking means is to be used with the handle extended, accordingly, the engaging projection need be certainly engaged in the engaging groove by forcibly pulling the respective cylinders, wherein if the engagement is unstable during use, the handle may be retracted by a force during cleaning operation. However, since the length locking means are both hidden by the cylinders, visual confirmation of the engaged state from outside is impossible. Therefore, after the small cylinder is pulled out of the medium cylinder, completion of the engagement need be confirmed such as by applying a retracting force between them, and similar confirmation is also required between the medium cylinder and the large cylinder, making the operation complicated.
When the handle is to be retracted, on the other hand, the engagement of the engaging projection in the engaging groove need be released at each length locking means by applying a strong retracting force between the cylinders, so that the strong retracting force need be applied twice for releasing the individual engagements at the two length locking means, making the handle retracting operation complicated, too.
In addition, when a strong retracting force acts on the extended handle during cleaning operation, the engagement at the length locking means may possibly be released, resulting in unexpected retraction of the handle. Particularly if the engaging projection and the engaging groove are worn due to long time use, the engagement at the length locking means becomes unstable, so that the engagement tends to be unexpectedly released during cleaning operation.